Which counties outside North America have a strong PRS scene? Rim or centerfire

[beetroot]

I think it's without a doubt the US and Canada have the biggest presence when it comes to PRS type competitions, but are there any other countries that have a healthy and growing PRS scene?

I know Australia have some good shooters and often have a few shooting PRS, but there events are usually quite short distance and limited to square ranges.
The UK seems to have a good presence on the world stage, but they seem to be limited when it comes to centrefire.
I know a bunch of places in Europe have a strong shooting culture (Norway, Finland, etc) but they don't seem to have a strong presence in PRS (Norway didn't even have a team at the IPRF 22 comp this year).

Are there any sleeper countries out there that have a strong scene with regular events that aren't just on square ranges?

My guess would be Norway and Sweden had some of the best locations for centerfire shooting, but you don't hear much about them.

 

[rydah]

Yeah New Zealand.

 

[beetroot]

Yeah New Zealand.

What makes you say that?

 

[rydah]

Collie has been a good mate of mine for many years.
Lots of examples on his socials of the matches they shoot out there. Pretty impressive ranges they’ve got out there and the wind blows. So the shooters that are good, are really good.

 

[beetroot]

@DKN83
@VargmatII
@Mr.BR
@JayjayUK

Sorry to call you guys out, but you're the only members I know for sure aren't in the US.

 

[ironpony52]

Collie has been a good mate of mine for many years.
Lots of examples on his socials of the matches they shoot out there. Pretty impressive ranges they’ve got out there and the wind blows. So the shooters that are good, are really good.

Some of those videos are insane 40 MPH winds with rain and snow

 

[VargmatII]

@DKN83
@VargmatII
@Mr.BR
@JayjayUK

Sorry to call you guys out, but you're the only members I know for sure aren't in the US.

No worries at all!

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Collie has been a good mate of mine for many years.
Lots of examples on his socials of the matches they shoot out there. Pretty impressive ranges they’ve got out there and the wind blows. So the shooters that are good, are really good.

There were 2 NZ dudes who spent half the year here traveling and shooting matches. Super nice dudes but I can't remember their names.

 

[Sheldon N]

I got to squad with Frazier McKenzie from NZ a couple matches ago, good dude and an excellent shooter. I think he took 7th at the pro-series match in CA last weekend and 9th at the KRG pro-series match the weekend before.

 

[Mr.BR]

@DKN83
@VargmatII
@Mr.BR
@JayjayUK

Sorry to call you guys out, but you're the only members I know for sure aren't in the US.

Well as seen on recent World IPRF rimfire and European rimfire PRS ,Europe powerhouses in Rimfire PRS are Czech Republic and Poland and anyone watching results in this years IPRF in UK , US only took individual gold in Women and Senior category , individual open and factory went Australia and UK , there were maybe 2 americans in top 10 , a massive change from 2years ago when there was also a huge equipment gap .
In European Championship top 20 were practicaly all Czech and Poles , with one or two other nationalities in between.

Skandinavia is better represented in centerfire , but still Eastern europe is where its at , lots to do with gun legislation and range availability.
Scandinavians can set up a competition at any remote farm ,but getting there is another thing making competing there more expensive
Germany,Austria ,Netherlands are extremely limited in Regards to ranges . They all need to travel abroad to compete . Germans,Austrians,Dutch domestically shot in fucking 100-200m indoor ranges ,many shoot whole season abroad ,so you have German and Austrian nationals hosted in Czech republic.

Eastern europe has lots of former cold war shooting ranges some now private and military is very open to letting civilians play. Which is like no go in Western Europe.


UK ,Australia,NZ have great shooters but given location and legislation , they are somewhat isolated have to travel far =$$$ for international comps.

 

[Ledzep]

From what I gather, many PRS shooters from Western Europe go to Czech or Scandinavian ranges to practice. In Germany, for example, there are no civilian ranges that go beyond 300m and only a couple of military ranges that a person can hope to get access to that will go 800-1000m.

The laws in Europe blow my mind. LOL You have powder being produced in Sweden and Finland that has no legal outlet in Norway...

ETA: Just a point of observation... every one of the non-US shooters I've bumped into has been top class people. Always a pleasure to squad with.

 

[alamo5000]

South Africa has a big scene.

 

[beetroot]

Well as seen on recent World IPRF rimfire and European rimfire PRS ,Europe powerhouses in Rimfire PRS are Czech Republic and Poland and anyone watching results in this years IPRF in UK , US only took individual gold in Women and Senior category , individual open and factory went Australia and UK , there were maybe 2 americans in top 10 , a massive change from 2years ago when there was also a huge equipment gap .
In European Championship top 20 were practicaly all Czech and Poles , with one or two other nationalities in between.

Skandinavia is better represented in centerfire , but still Eastern europe is where its at , lots to do with gun lagislation and range availability.
Scandinavians can set up a competition at any remote farm ,but getting there is another thing making competing there more expensive
Germany,Austria ,Netherlands are extremely limited in Regards to ranges . They all need to travel abroad to compete . Germans,Austrians,Dutch domesticaly shot in fucking 100-200m indoor ranges ,many shoot whole season abroad ,so you have German and Austrian national competition hosted in Czech republic.

Eastern europe has lots of former cold war shooting ranges some now private and military is very open to letting civilians play. Which is like no go in Western europe.


UK ,Australia,NZ have great shooters but given location and legislation , they are somewhat isolated have to travel far =$$$ for international comps.

I spoke to some shooters from the Netherlands and the guys from Anschutz, sounds like that part of the world is seriously difficult for this style of shooting. The Czech Republic sounds like the place to be, as that's where Anschutz seem to be testing their PRS rifle models.

 

[beetroot]

From what I gather, many PRS shooters from Western Europe go to Czech or Scandinavian ranges to practice. In Germany, for example, there are no civilian ranges that go beyond 300m and only a couple of military ranges that a person can hope to get access to that will go 800-1000m.

The laws in Europe blow my mind. LOL You have powder being produced in Sweden and Finland that has no legal outlet in Norway...

ETA: Just a point of observation... every one of the non-US shooters I've bumped into has been top class people. Always a pleasure to squad with.

I meet quite a few Swedes at the IPRF 22lr champs and they were all very cool.
Sweden and Norway seem like they would be cool places to go and shoot, the more field style matches would be cool to do.

 

[VargmatII]

I meet quite a few Swedes at the IPRF 22lr champs and they were all very cool.
Sweden and Norway seem like they would be cool places to go and shoot, the more field style matches would be cool to do.

A big reason to why I sold my TRG is that there is not a whole lot of Field shooting matches left, atleast not in the southern half of Sweden. When I started to shoot Field shooting in 2015 there was 4-6 matches within a 2 hour drive every fall/winter and most of them were held on the military ranges and some at the local rock quarrys. But around 2018 the board of the quarrys decided that there would be no more shooting there, then came Covid and then came the Ukraine war which led the military to shut down all civilian activities on the ranges. So last year there was 1 Field Shooting competition and this year I am not aware of any at all.

So I quit, or maybe field shooting died out and left me and a lot of other guys out.

Rimfire PRS seems to rise in popularity around Sweden and I understand why, as it is so much easier to set up a match for it. You can use your local 300 meter range with ease. I am personally not interested at all, but thats just me.

 

[beetroot]

A big reason to why I sold my TRG is that there is not a whole lot of Field shooting matches left, atleast not in the southern half of Sweden. When I started to shoot Field shooting in 2015 there was 4-6 matches within a 2 hour drive every fall/winter and most of them were held on the military ranges and some at the local rock quarrys. But around 2018 the board of the quarrys decided that there would be no more shooting there, then came Covid and then came the Ukraine war which led the military to shut down all civilian activities on the ranges. So last year there was 1 Field Shooting competition and this year I am not aware of any at all.

So I quit, or maybe field shooting died out and left me and a lot of other guys out.

Rimfire PRS seems to rise in popularity around Sweden and I understand why, as it is so much easier to set up a match for it. You can use your local 300 meter range with ease. I am personally not interested at all, but thats just me.

Do they hold many PRS type matches is Sweden or is centrefire matches in general less common?

I used to shoot a lot of centrefire when ot was field style matches but they seem to have gone in my area in place of PRS style.
I prefer field matches in Rimfire also, but if I'm going to have to build and shoot a race gun I feel like Rimfire is just as enjoyable (or frustrating) with a much lower cost to shoot a match, and much easier to practice.

 

[Mr.BR]

Not much published

Do they hold many PRS type matches is Sweden or is centrefire matches in general less common?

I used to shoot a lot of centrefire when ot was field style matches but they seem to have gone in my area in place of PRS style.
I prefer field matches in Rimfire also, but if I'm going to have to build and shoot a race gun I feel like Rimfire is just as enjoyable (or frustrating) with a much lower cost to shoot a match, and much easier to practice.

Aug 9, 2025	26' Season - Järpen PRS - 2025	Järpen, Jämtlands län
Jun 28, 2025	26' Season - Arctic Precision Long Range	Lomben, Norrbottens län

Centerfire matches............................................ Rimfire

 

[VargmatII]

Do they hold many PRS type matches is Sweden or is centrefire matches in general less common?

I used to shoot a lot of centrefire when ot was field style matches but they seem to have gone in my area in place of PRS style.
I prefer field matches in Rimfire also, but if I'm going to have to build and shoot a race gun I feel like Rimfire is just as enjoyable (or frustrating) with a much lower cost to shoot a match, and much easier to practice.

There are a few, and some at club level that you wont find listed on SSI.
We have one club level match each month, and it has been popular and a good time.

The big advantage with rimfire is that you dont need the huge distances for it to be difficult, and that makes it easier to arrange matches.
I dont like rimfire enough to justify a new gun and much less the cost of travel to matches. But it is probably the type of shooting that has grown the most since the Covid years.

 

[DKN83]

Well as seen on recent World IPRF rimfire and European rimfire PRS ,Europe powerhouses in Rimfire PRS are Czech Republic and Poland and anyone watching results in this years IPRF in UK , US only took individual gold in Women and Senior category , individual open and factory went Australia and UK , there were maybe 2 americans in top 10 , a massive change from 2years ago when there was also a huge equipment gap .
In European Championship top 20 were practicaly all Czech and Poles , with one or two other nationalities in between.

Skandinavia is better represented in centerfire , but still Eastern europe is where its at , lots to do with gun legislation and range availability.
Scandinavians can set up a competition at any remote farm ,but getting there is another thing making competing there more expensive
Germany,Austria ,Netherlands are extremely limited in Regards to ranges . They all need to travel abroad to compete . Germans,Austrians,Dutch domestically shot in fucking 100-200m indoor ranges ,many shoot whole season abroad ,so you have German and Austrian nationals hosted in Czech republic.

Eastern europe has lots of former cold war shooting ranges some now private and military is very open to letting civilians play. Which is like no go in Western Europe.


UK ,Australia,NZ have great shooters but given location and legislation , they are somewhat isolated have to travel far =$$$ for international comps.

What he said pretty much. Live in germany and travel 1000km on a regular basis to get to shooting ranges in italy, poland, cz etc.

We can practice up to 300m in germany, thats it. Only stationary shooting most of the time. I try to do as much dry fire as i can to keep up. But shooting live rounds cant be compensated at a certain level unfortunately...

 

[beetroot]

What he said pretty much. Live in germany and travel 1000km on a regular basis to get to shooting ranges in italy, poland, cz etc.

We can practice up to 300m in germany, thats it. Only stationary shooting most of the time. I try to do as much dry fire as i can to keep up. But shooting live rounds cant be compensated at a certain level unfortunately...

Which of the countries you regularly visit have the most/best matches?

 

[DKN83]

Which of the countries you regularly visit have the most/best matches?

Definately italy/norway. Will head to france in december but expect that to be top notch aswell.

 

[beetroot]

Definately italy/norway. Will head to france in december but expect that to be top notch aswell.

I never would've expected Italy to have such a big shooting scene but PRS (rim and centrefire) seems to be very popular.

 

[DKN83]

Italy just got started, however, the matches are top notch. Especially NRL hunter!